Seoul's government expressed deep regret over Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's decision to send a ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine on Thursday.<br /> Tokyo's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the PM made the offering in his capacity as a private citizen, but did not visit the shrine in person.<br />It's the 7th straight year Abe has sent offerings to mark the country's 1945 surrender in World War Two.<br />About 50 right-wing lawmakers from ruling and opposition parties also paid their respect at the shrine en masse.<br />The shrine honors Japan's war dead including 14 Class-A war criminals.<br />For Korea and China, it's regarded as a symbol of Japan's past imperialism and Abe faced a strong backlash for visiting the shrine in 2013. <br />
